The Cow Branch Formation is a
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...
(
Carnian
The Carnian (less commonly, Karnian) is the lowermost stage of the Upper Triassic Series (or earliest age of the Late Triassic Epoch). It lasted from 237 to 227 million years ago (Ma). The Carnian is preceded by the Ladinian and is followed by t ...
to
Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic Period. It has the rank of an age (geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.
Stratigraphic defi ...
, or
Tuvalian in the regional stratigraphy) geologic
formation
Formation may refer to:
Linguistics
* Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes
* Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes
Mathematics and science
* Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...
in the eastern
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
[Cow Branch Formation]
at Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...
.org Indeterminate fossil
ornithischian
Ornithischia () is an extinct order of mainly herbivorous dinosaurs characterized by a pelvic structure superficially similar to that of birds. The name ''Ornithischia'', or "bird-hipped", reflects this similarity and is derived from the Greek s ...
tracks have been reported from the formation.
[Weishampel et al., 2004, pp.517-607]
Fossil content
The following fossils have been reported from the formation:
[
;Reptiles
* '' Mecistotrachelos apeoros''
* '' Tanytrachelos ahynis''
* '' cf. Pariostegus sp.''
* Anthophyta indet.
;Fish
* '' Diplurus cf. newarki''
* '' Cionichthys sp.''
* '' Semionotus sp.''
* '' Synorichthys sp.''
* '' Turseodus sp.''
;Ichnofossils
* '' Anchisauripus milfordensis''
;Arachnids
* '' Argyrarachne solitus''][Selden et al., 1999]
;Insects
* '' Alinka cara''
* '' Architipula youngi''
* '' Brachyrhyphus distortus''
* '' Cascadelcana virginiana''[Fang et al., 2018]
* '' Crosaphis virginiensis''
* '' Holcoptera solitensis''[Kelly et al., 2017]
* '' Leehermania prorova''
* '' Metarchilimonia krzeminskorum''
* '' M. solita''
* '' Mormolucoides articulatus''[Huber et al., 2003]
* '' Phyloblatta grimaldii''
* '' Prosechamyia dimedia''
* '' P. trimedia''
* '' Pseudopolycentropodes virginicus''
* '' Triassonepa solensis''[Criscione & Grimaldi, 2017]
* '' Triassopsychoda olseni''
* '' Triassothrips virginicus''
* '' Veriplecia rugosa''
* '' Virginiptera certa''
* '' V. lativentra''
* '' V. similis''
* '' Yalea argentata''
* '' Y. rectimedia''
* Archescytinidae indet.
* Blattodea indet.
* Diptera indet.
* Naucoridae indet.
* Orthoptera indet.
* Phoroschizidae indet.
* Thysanoptera indet.
* Tipulomorpha indet.
;Flora
* '' Lonchopteris virginiensis''
* '' Pagiophyllum diffusum''
* '' P. simpsoniae''
* '' Zamites powellii''
* '' cf. Acrostichites linnaeafolius''
* '' cf. Compsostrobus neotericus''
* '' Glyptolepis cf. platysperma''
* '' Neocalamites cf. knowltonii''
* '' cf. Zamiostrobus lissocardus''
* '' Dictyophyllum sp.''
* '' Glandulozamites sp.''
* '' Lepacyclotes sp.''
* '' Lepidodendron sp.''
* '' Pagiophyllum sp.''
* '' Pelourdea sp.''
* '' Podozamites sp.''
* '' Pterophyllum sp.''
* '' Sphenozamites sp.''
* '' Wingatea sp.''
* '' cf. Dechellyia sp.''
* '' cf. Elatocladus sp.''
* '' cf. Grammaephloios sp.''
* '' cf. Sagenopteris sp.''
See also
* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
This list of dinosaur-bearing rock formations is a list of geologic formations in which dinosaur fossils have been documented.
Containing body fossils
* List of stratigraphic units with dinosaur body fossils
** List of stratigraphic units with few ...
** List of stratigraphic units with ornithischian tracks Indeterminate or unspecified ornithischian tracks
Ceratopsians
Ornithopods
Thyreophorans
Ankylosaurs
Stegosaurs
See also
List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
This list of dinosaur-bearing rock formations is a list of geologic f ...
*** Indeterminate ornithischian tracks
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
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*
*
*
*
* {{cite LSA , last=Olsen , first=P. E. , first2=C. L. , last2=Remington , first3=B. , last3=Cornet , first4=K. S. , last4=Thomson , year=1978 , title=Cyclic change in Late Triassic lacustrine communities , journal=Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
, volume=201 , pages=729–733
Geologic formations of North Carolina
Geologic formations of Virginia
Triassic System of North America
Triassic geology of North Carolina
Triassic geology of Virginia
Carnian Stage
Norian Stage
Shale formations of the United States
Siltstone formations
Lacustrine deposits
Ichnofossiliferous formations
Paleontology in North Carolina
Paleontology in Virginia